George Zimmerman to be charged in Trayvon Martin shooting, official says

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Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey plans to announce as early as Wednesday afternoon that she is charging neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to a law enforcement official close to the investigation.

It was not immediately clear what charge Zimmerman will face.

Martin, 17 and unarmed, was shot and killed Feb. 26 by Zimmerman, who said he was acting in self-defense. Police in Sanford, Fla., where the shooting took place, did not charge Zimmerman, citing the state’s “stand your ground” law.

Corey told reporters Tuesday night that she would hold a news conference about the case within 72 hours. A news release from her office said the event will be held in Sanford or Jacksonville, Fla.

Benjamin Crump, who is representing the Martin family, said this week that Corey’s office had asked where Trayvon’s parents would be each day this week. They arrived Wednesday in Washington for a civil rights conference organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton, where they are scheduled to speak.

The announcement of a charge against Zimmerman would come a day after Zimmerman’s attorneys withdrew from the case, citing their inability to contact Zimmerman.

Lawyers Craig Sonner and Hal Uhrig on Tuesday expressed concern about Zimmerman’s emotional and physical well-being, saying he has taken actions without consulting them. They also said they do not know where Zimmerman is.

“You can stop looking in Florida,” Uhrig told reporters. “Look much further away than that.”

Corey said Monday that she would not bring the case before a grand jury, which was expected to convene this week. She said her decision to forgo the grand jury should not be viewed as a factor in determining whether charges will be filed.

Corey has indicated in recent weeks that she might not need a grand jury to bring charges against Zimmerman.

The lawyers said they stand by their assertions that Zimmerman acted in self-defense when he killed the 17-year-old, who was unarmed, but they acknowledged that they formed their impressions without meeting Zimmerman.

Gun Control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her panty hose, is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound - Unknown

Not necessarily. We don't know what the charges will be, and since the prosecutor didn't convene a grand jury, it's not going to be a capital murder case. Given the forensic evidence that we know of, it would be hard to prove voluntary manslaughter, since there's a compelling case for self defense, and no competent prosecutor is going to file charges in a case this public that they cannot hope to prove.

Just let the system do its job. Don't get outraged until you have something to be outraged about.

Not necessarily. We don't know what the charges will be, and since the prosecutor didn't convene a grand jury, it's not going to be a capital murder case. Given the forensic evidence that we know of, it would be hard to prove voluntary manslaughter, since there's a compelling case for self defense, and no competent prosecutor is going to file charges in a case this public that they cannot hope to prove.

Just let the system do its job. Don't get outraged until you have something to be outraged about.

Don't be resigned. A teenager died. It would have been highly unusual for there not to have been some charges filed. We cannot expect others to accept the system if we're not prepared to accept it ourselves. Have faith that justice will be done, but be vigilant in order to ensure it.

Don't be resigned. A teenager died. It would have been highly unusual for there not to have been some charges filed. We cannot expect others to accept the system if we're not prepared to accept it ourselves. Have faith that justice will be done, but be vigilant in order to ensure it.

I fear it won't be fair in this case, that political exigencies will trump the facts. I fear that they won't be able to find a reasonable jury, but a jury of people with agendas. I remember the OJ jury. I lived in LA during that trial and I remember how the one jury member who thought he was guilty--an elderly white woman--was intimidated into changing her vote. There were stories at the time, but no one did anything. The system did not serve Nicole Simpson nor Ron Goldman nor the children who ended up in the custody of their father instead of their grandparents.